rats in the undercellar rats in the undercellar · a d&d® adventure for characters of levels...

Rats in the Undercellar

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Rats in the UndercellarA D&D® adventure for characters of levels 1–2

By Tim EagonIllustrations by Kieran Yanner and Scott MurphyCartography by Mike Schley

“Rats in the Undercellar” is set in Baldur’s Gate in the Forgotten Realms® setting, and you can easily adapt it to another urban setting. The adventure con-tains everything needed to run it, but you can refer to the Murder in Baldur’s Gate™ adventure for additional information.

BackgroundRothryn Toth—a gnome illusionist, con man, and fence—needed money and he needed it fast. A busi-ness deal with Osgur “the Fetcher” Hallorn, one of the Thieves’ Guild kingpins who rule Baldur’s Gate’s underworld, went sour. When Toth’s payments to the Fetcher came up short, the Fetcher sent henchmen to the gnome’s abode in the Undercellar, a labyrinth of subterranean chambers and passageways located beneath the Gate’s Upper City that serves as a fest-hall, tavern, and base of operations for the Guild. The gnome escaped harm by creating an illusion of another wizard to distract his assailants. After that close call, Toth decided for safety’s sake to relocate to Waterdeep. Before he could move, he needed to recoup some of his substantial losses, and he desperately wanted revenge on the Fetcher. With

his remaining funds, the gnome reached out to con-tacts in the Feywild and, in the guise of a human wizard, hired a mercenary band of xivort thieves. With the xivorts’ ability to communicate with the Undercellar’s countless rats, they would eavesdrop on the Fetcher’s thugs, overhear their criminal plans, and then commit the crimes first; Toth would rebuild his finances with the proceeds from the thefts while undercutting the Fetcher. The xivorts, ignorant of the criminal politics in Baldur’s Gate and fooled by Toth’s illusory disguise into believing they were dealing with a human wizard, would unknowingly shoulder the risk. Toth set two conditions on the xivorts so they wouldn’t draw attention: they must restrict their activity to the less aff luent Lower and Outer Cities, and they mustn’t kill anyone. Toth’s role in the arrangement was to fence the stolen goods. Because the xivorts have little use for human gold, Toth had suggested that instead of paying them in coin, he would create for them a small army of humanoid constructs called demos magens. The xivorts jumped at that offer, while Toth planned all along to doublecross the xivorts. The two demos magens that he owned were enough to persuade the xivorts he could do what he claimed, but creating


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magens is well beyond Toths’ ability. Even if he could create magens, Toth is not so foolish that he would turn such a weapon over to xivorts. So far, the xivorts have pulled off four lucrative heists, and no one is the wiser. But Toth didn’t count on the mettle of their fourth victim, a steely dwarf businesswoman named Margda Silveraxe. Margda would never let criminals victimize her and get away with it, especially when they stole a prized family heirloom. When the Flaming Fist (the mercenary company that enforces law in the Lower City) could not apprehend the thieves, Margda started talking to other robbery victims on her own. Before long, she put out the word that she wanted to hire adventurers to look into the robberies independently of the Flam-ing Fist.

adventure SynopSiSThe adventure begins when Margda Silveraxe hires the characters to investigate the burglary of her ware-house. She presents a list of other recent robbery victims to them—all targets of the xivorts, though Margda doesn’t know that fact—along with the poi-soned dart that the robbers used to disable her. Otherwise, she leaves the investigation up to them. The characters can interview the other victims, the Flaming Fist soldiers who initially responded, and a criminal who helped plan one of the original robber-ies that the xivorts preempted. All the evidence points to the Undercellar. When the characters visit the Undercellar, they learn that its patrons are abuzz over current events and that they aren’t the only ones investigating the sit-uation. Twin brothers named Joren and Belken have been making their own inquiries. The characters also attract the attention of Osgur “The Fetcher” Hallorn, the Guild’s kingpin in the Upper City and the Undercellar. Agents of the Fist are arresting his operatives for the xivorts’ crimes. He offers his help to the characters.

The twin brothers, who are actually wererats resentful of the xivorts’ influence over the Under-cellar’s rodent denizens, are the characters’ most promising lead. When the characters visit the brothers, they are interrogating a xivort captive. The characters can learn the details of the xivorts’ schemes and the location of their lair by allying with the wererats or by rescuing the captive xivort. In the latter case, they won’t receive a warm welcome from the xivorts, whose lair contains evidence of Toth’s involvement but none of the stolen goods. Tracking down Toth and recovering the stolen items are the final pieces of the puzzle. At first, the gnome tries to trick the characters into leaving. If that gambit fails, he tries to negotiate with them. Alhough Toth and his servants are reasonably powerful, he’s a coward who attacks only as a last resort.

adventure HookSMargda Silveraxe is looking for help investigating a robbery in her warehouse. The characters might learn about her in various ways.

F Margda is well known for giving inexperienced adventurers jobs as caravan guards. The charac-ters might approach her looking for such a job.

F Margda is a respected member of her clan. Her elders, hearing of her troubles, dispatch a dwarf character to help her recover her property.

F A character could be a relation or friend of one of the other victims. In that case, they hear that the same criminals robbed Margda.

encounter 1: Meeting MargdaRoleplaying Encounter

Margda runs her business from a nondescript ware-house in the Eastway neighborhood in Baldur’s Gate’s Lower City. The characters can find her there from sunup to well after sundown barking orders to her workers. She’s a gruff, bespectacled, middle-aged dwarf woman who eschews finery for modest work clothes and wears her long, steel-gray hair in a simple braid. After the characters announce themselves, she ushers them into her spare office, asks them to sit, and gets down to business. As she talks, she habitu-ally touches her bare neck as if something is missing.

“Two days ago, I was robbed. The villains broke into my warehouse after my workers went home. Knocked me sense-less with this.” She produces a small dart from her pocket. “When I came to, I was tied up and my head was covered with a sack. If a Flaming Fist patrol hadn’t heard me holler-ing, I would have laid there all night. The soldiers arrested a couple of neighborhood toughs who were lurking nearby, but those lowlifes didn’t have my property. “I can’t abide people stealing from me, and let’s face it—the Fist can keep the peace, but they’re not detectives. I need folk with good heads on their shoulders to do this for me. I will pay you fifty gold pieces each, plus five percent of the value of whatever you recover for me. What do you say?”

Margda gives the characters a few moments to con-sider her offer. She expects adventurers to haggle, so if characters succeed at a DC 12 Bluff or Diplomacy check, they can finagle up to an additional 5 percent each out of her. After the characters accept the terms, she pulls a piece of parchment from her desk drawer and continues.


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“I didn’t think what happened to me was all that odd until a friend told me that in the last tenday, three other mer-chants in the Lower City were robbed in a similar manner. The thieves snuck into their shops at night, knocked them out, and then ransacked everything of value they could find. What’s really odd is that, each time, the Fist arrested some petty criminals but couldn’t connect them to the burglaries. Four times in a tenday is quite a coincidence, wouldn’t you say?”

Margda hands the parchment over to the near-est character. It lists the names, occupations, and addresses of the three other victims in the order they were robbed.

F Rhorg Orlusk, Baker, Ten-Sword Alley, Brampton

F Mira Tully, Apothecary, Trout Run, Eastway

F Delzour Llaerskyr, Jeweler, Sunrise Avenue, Bloomridge

She also passes the dart around so the characters can examine it. It’s very small. A successful DC 19 Nature check reveals that the toxin contains exotic compounds native to the Feywild. Margda honestly answers any questions that the characters might have. Here are some sample questions and her pos-sible responses.

What did the thieves take? “The thieves must have cased my warehouse, because they knew where I kept all of the expensive stuff. They took a strongbox containing sev-eral trade bars, a few bolts of silk, several casks of Amnian wine, and a silver pendant—a family heirloom—from around my neck. Above all, I want that pendant back.” What does the pendant look like? “It’s a small silver disc set with a chartreuse sphere and engraved with two interlocking rings, the symbol of Berronar Truesilver, on a silver chain. The women of my clan have passed this pendant down to their eldest daughters for generations. I had hoped to give it to my grandniece one day.”

How did the thieves get in? “They opened a shut-tered window in the back of the warehouse. I hadn’t barred them yet, but I made sure they were latched, and I have no idea how they opened one from the outside. I was doing inventory and before I knew what was happening, they stung me with that damned dart!” The xivorts commanded some rats to open the relatively simple latch from the inside. It’s immedi-ately obvious to the characters that it would be very difficult to unlatch a shutter from the outside without damaging it. Can we see the scene of the crime? “Certainly.” Margda escorts the characters through the bus-tling warehouse and shows them where she was when the dart hit her. She’s not shy, so she’ll even show them the wound on the back of her thigh if asked. She lets them examine the window. It is a few feet off the ground and wide enough for a human to pass through easily. No other clues are in the ware-house, though characters poking around encounter numerous rats, much to Margda’s chagrin. She bawls out one of her workers for not setting enough traps. She has no idea that the rodents acted as the xivorts’ accomplices. Do you have any enemies? “I’m a merchant in Baldur’s Gate, so what do you think? Of course, my enemies know I’d never forgive an assault and they don’t have the guts to pull something like this. Not even the Guild. No, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree.” Margda honestly believes this statement. She refuses to pay protection money and until recently has never had any issues with theft. Stolen Items: The xivorts stole four trade bars (50 gp each), but Toth has already used them to finance his move. They also stole three casks of wine (50 gp each), ten bolts of silk (20 gp each), and her pendant (250 gp).

After the characters finish looking around, Margda sees them out. Before they leave, she warns them

against making trouble for her and asks that they give her periodic updates. Her subsequent attitude toward them depends on how much progress they’re making.

Major Quest: Find the Culprits1st-Level Major Quest (100 XP per character)The characters earn this quest reward if they expose Toth’s scheme and recover Margda’s possessions.

encounter 2: the Investigation BeginsRoleplaying Encounter

After meeting with Margda, the characters have sev-eral avenues of investigation to pursue. The clearest place for the characters to start is with interviewing the other victims.

Rhorg orluskThe massive Rhorg, an elderly human baker, was the xivorts’ first victim. They robbed his shop, which is located in a poorer section of Brampton, six days before Margda Silveraxe’s warehouse. It was a dry run for the xivorts, and it almost spun out of control when they took out their hatred of big folks on him and nearly beat him to death. They also vandalized his shop. The day the characters visit him is also the day he returns to work. Bruises still cover his swollen, unshaven face, he walks with a noticeable limp, and he often winces due to some broken ribs. Although sullen, the baker is willing to talk to the characters. His attitude improves, returning to his normal jovial-ity, as he bakes his bread. His story is straightforward. He was behind his shop shooing rats away from his morning flour deliv-ery when he heard a whirling noise and something hit him in the head, knocking him down. His assailants then threw a burlap sack over his head and began to


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beat him. Before he lost consciousness, he distinctly remembered one of them saying in Elven (he speaks it f luently), “Better stop. Remember what the boss said.” He woke up sometime later after one of his customers found him and summoned the Fist. He thinks they arrested a couple of thugs for the crime. The thieves stole a small amount of copper and silver coins, several loaves of bread, Rhorg’s gold wedding band, and a set of fine porcelain dishes imported from Shou Lung that once belonged to his deceased wife. The burly widower sheds some tears while recounting that particular loss. Other than the unusual violence, not much else is notable about the crime. No other witnesses or clues are to be found. A little legwork reveals that Rhorg’s neighbors and customers love him. They can’t believe what hap-pened and urge the characters to help in whatever way they can. Stolen Inventory: The xivorts stole 10 gp, in addition to the porcelain dishes (100 gp) and a gold wedding ring (50 gp).

Mira tullyMira Tully, a skilled young half-elf apothecary, was the xivorts’ second victim. She lives and works in a two-story building near the harbor, which the xivorts robbed four days before Margda Silveraxe’s warehouse. The robbery left Mira angry, paranoid, and scrambling to fill her customers’ orders. When the characters call upon her, she’s frantically brew-ing new herbal concoctions and hasn’t slept for days. Her silvery hair is disheveled and her blue eyes are sunken and bloodshot. Although she’s willing to talk, her answers are terse and she’s frequently distracted by her work. As she tells it, she was upstairs reading when she heard a skittering noise from her attic. Then her candle guttered out and her unseen assailants entangled her in a net before covering her head with a burlap sack. One then held a dagger to her throat for several

minutes before leaving. When Mira was sure they were gone, she ran outside and f lagged down the closest Fist patrol. Fist agents later caught a couple of teenagers trying to climb the walls of her shop, but let them go after a good f logging made it apparent they hadn’t committed the crime. Mira complains bitterly about the Fist, since they did little else. The thieves stole two potions of healing, several phials of expensive medicine, and her store of rare ingredients, including herbs from Chult that she deems priceless. If the characters ask to see her apart-ment or attic, Mira insists that she should be working. If they help in her shop for at least an hour or make a DC 12 Diplomacy or Bluff check, she relents. She shows them the apartment but refuses to enter the attic, since “it’s full of rats and bats.” It also contains several clues. The attic window is ajar and opens from the inside (the xivorts had the rats push it open). The robbers left many small, clawed footprints in the dust (a DC 12 Perception check reveals four sets of tracks). A stolen stall-marker chit is on the f loor. Such chits are used to allot spaces in the Wide, the sprawling, open-air market in the Upper City (and also the loca-tion of the Undercellar’s main entrance). Stolen Inventory: In addition to the potions, the stolen medicine and herbs are worth 500 gp.

Delzour LlaerskyrSo far, the xivorts’ most successful robbery was their third one, which occurred two days before they broke into Margda Silveraxe’s warehouse. Their target was Delzour Llaerskyr, a human jeweler operating from his luxurious home in Bloomridge, the Lower City’s most upscale neighborhood. Though upset by the thefts, he’s particularly despondent over the death of Whiskers, his beloved cat. The xivorts killed the cat as a favor to their rat allies. During their interview, the sickly jeweler sits wrapped in a blanket and frequently laments the death of his pet. (“The best friend a man could ever

ask for . . . now the rats will have the run of the place, whatever shall I do?”) His newly hired body-guard, a grim and silent warrior named Bran, hovers over him and eyes the characters warily. Llaerskyr relates that he was locking up for the night when he felt a sharp pain in his side, which caused him to faint. He woke to find a burlap sack over his head. He had a dart in his side, and he later found Whiskers’s corpse peppered with the same darts. While grief overwhelms Llaerskyr, Bran pro-duces one of the darts. It’s identical to the one that Margda Silveraxe showed the characters. Composing himself, Llaerskyr continues. When he awoke, he went outside and yelled for help. A Fist patrol arrested a couple of suspicious local men. Llaerskyr knew they had arrested the wrong people, since everyone from Baldur’s Gate knows it’s extremely unlucky to kill a cat. The thieves were unable to crack his safe, but they did steal several loose gems, a couple of trade bars, and some miscel-laneous coins. If the characters make a DC 12 Insight check during the interview, they realize that Llaerskyr is hiding something. If pressed, he tearfully admits that he expected trouble because he fell behind on his protection payments to the Guild. He also knows the men the Fist arrested were Guild enforcers. Neverthe-less, he still harbors doubts about their involvement. Stolen Inventory: The xivorts stole twenty gems (50 to 100 gp each), two trade bars (50 gp), and 100 gp. Toth has already used half the gems, the trade bars, and coins to finance his move. Ten gems remain (six worth 50 gp and four worth 100 gp).

Minor Quest: Avenge Whiskers1st-Level Minor Quest (20 XP per character)Llaerskyr mentions he’d like to see those who tor-mented his cat “given what they deserve.” The characters earn this quest reward if they slay the xivort darters who killed Whiskers. In addition, if the


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characters provide proof of their deed to Llaerskyr, he rewards each of them with a gem (100 gp).

Future VictimsThe xivorts’ next robbery occurs the same day that Margda Silveraxe hires the characters. That night, the fey break into a warehouse in Bloomridge owned by a portly half ling furrier named Hugo Underbough and steal an entire shipment of fur coats recently arrived from the North. The next morning, if the characters succeed on a DC 8 Streetwise check or talk with any member of the Flaming Fist, they hear of the robbery. Otherwise, Margda informs them that afternoon. Hugo Underbough’s story is similar to the other victims’. His fear is palpable as he retells it and he frequently looks around nervously while wiping his sweaty brow. The caravan bearing the furs arrived late, so he was still at work. A guard was the only other person in the warehouse. Hugo was inspecting the shipment when he heard a strange whirling noise and then a thump. He went to investigate, but quickly hid when he spied several small, shadowy figures roaming through his warehouse. They talked softly among themselves in a language he didn’t understand and one of them made a chittering noise that sounded like a rat. If asked to describe them, he gulps loudly, sits down, and confesses that he didn’t get a good look at them. He remembers, with a shudder, only their sinister, glowing yellow eyes. After they left, Underbough found the unconscious guard (who doesn’t remember anything) and sum-moned the Fist, who did nothing but chase away a couple of petty thieves nearby. Only the furs were missing, and if Underbough can’t recover them, he’s likely to be ruined! Unless the characters stop them, Underbough isn’t the xivorts’ last victim. Every few days, the xivorts strike and slowly expand their activities into the Outer City. You can use the Murder in Baldur’s Gate DM Screen to generate the shop names and services. All

the victims share similar experiences, which should include clues that help the characters identify the per-petrators or steer the party toward the Undercellar. Stolen Inventory: The stolen furs are worth 500 gp.

Minor Quest: Return the Prized Possessions1st-Level Minor Quest (20 XP per character)The characters earn this quest reward if they return the porcelain dishes to Rhorg Orlusk, the Chult herbs to Mira Tully, or the furs to Hugo Underbough. They earn the XP for each item returned.

the Flaming FistThe mercenaries who patrol the Lower City are another obvious source of information. Luckily for the characters, none of the Fist soldiers who responded

to the xivorts’ robberies have rotated out of Baldur’s Gate. The characters can visit the Fist garrisons at the Seatower or Wyrm’s Rock and inquire about their current postings. A few hours of inquiries gains the characters the address of a soldier’s apartment in Seatower or the name of another’s favorite tavern. The Fist soldiers talk as long as the characters remain respectful and aren’t too critical. Most regret being unable to do more, but they had neither the time nor the resources to conduct more than a cur-sory investigation. Each of their tales is eerily similar.

F They found few clues at the scene. Other than the victims, there were no witnesses.

F Within 1–2 hours of the robberies, the Fist appre-hended several persons acting suspiciously near the scene of each crime, although some escaped. They all turned out to be career footpads or local delinquents—the soldiers suspect that many were affiliated with the Guild—and each possessed tools of the criminal trade such as crowbars, ropes, lock picks, and concealed blades. Every one of them had an alibi, though, and the Fist couldn’t connect them to the thefts. After giving the miscreants a flogging, the Fist mercenaries released them, even though the soldiers felt they were somehow involved.

F At the time of the robberies, the suspects were patronizing different bathhouses, festhalls, gam-bling parlors, or taverns. At least one person in each arrested group had visited the Undercellar earlier that night. If asked, the soldiers can provide basic facts about the public face of the Undercellar, but they otherwise don’t know much about it. (“That’s the Watch’s problem” is a common refrain.)

F They give the characters information on how to find the criminals they detained. This grants the characters a +2 bonus to their Streetwise checks to do so.

RAtS, RAtS eVeRyWheReAs the characters investigate the robberies, they might discern patterns involving rats and decide to use some means, such as the Speak with Nature ritual, to question them. The rats aren’t loyal to the xivorts, though those living in Delzour Llaerskyr’s house are grateful the fey dispatched Whiskers. The rats can provide an accurate physical description of the xivorts, but not their motives. The extent of their help involved showing the fey the location of certain objects and people, as well as opening latches. If the characters do notice the rats, use their pres-ence to increase tension. Since rats are everywhere in Baldur’s Gate, their frequent mention should be both appropriate and unnerving.


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Word on the StreetThe characters can also turn to the streets for infor-mation. If they make a DC 12 Streetwise check, they learn one of the following tidbits. They can attempt these checks multiple times.

F A bigwig in the Guild has taken an interest in the thefts and provided a list of the stolen items to the city’s fences after the third robbery. He’s ordered them to report anyone trying to sell things on the list. No one knows how the Guild obtained the list and so far, no one has tried to sell anything on it.

F A couple of days ago, someone began quietly asking around town about Margda and the characters’ investigations. The inquiries seem mostly concerned with what the characters have learned regarding the thefts. No one knows who is making the inquiries—or more precisely, they don’t want to know.

F Hoodlums are killing stray cats at night in the Upper City, especially in the neighborhoods near the Wide, and there’s growing anger toward the Watch since they haven’t captured the culprits. The killers are brutally stabbing the cats and dis-carding their corpses on the cobblestones.

the CriminalsAfter their detention, most of the criminals impli-cated in the xivorts’ crimes melted back into the Gate’s underworld, making them nearly impossible to find. Still, a few willing to talk remain. One of them is a teenage burglar named Coll. His experience soured him on a life of crime, and he is now preparing to leave Baldur’s Gate and sail up the River Chionthar to start a new life. Finding him requires a DC 12 Streetwise check. If the characters fail the check, they still obtain the information they need but also attract the attention of six ruffians armed with blackjacks and clubs who don’t care for strang-ers sticking their noses where it doesn’t belong. The

characters can avoid combat with a DC 19 Bluff check, Diplomacy check, or Intimidate check. If the ruffi-ans attack the characters, they’re trying only to scare them (as a DC 8 Insight check reveals); if they reduce a character to 0 hit points, they knock the character unconscious. The ruffians flee after half of them are slain or knocked unconscious. Killing them brings the swift response of the Fist soldiers. It’s obvious to the Fist that the ruffians were trying to scare the char-acters, so, if the characters killed any of them, they’ll need to pay some hefty bribes or call upon powerful friends to escape the city’s harsh justice. When the characters find Coll—a lanky, bare-footed youth with a tousle of dirty blond hair and freckles—he’s milling around the docks looking for passage on a barge. So far, he hasn’t had any success and has caught a cold. He’s desperate to leave the Gate, so he’ll talk if the characters give him 5 gp and some proper clothing, or if they make a DC 12 Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check. Coll tells his story in between coughing and sneez-ing fits. He’s an orphan from the Outer City who supported himself by begging and committing petty crime. Eventually, he attracted the attention of some Guild footpads, who recruited him for his climbing

skills, and he became an accomplished second-story man. Several days ago, a friend nicknamed Magpie enlisted him for a new job : the robbery of Mira Tully’s apothecary. The two of them met with a man named Nizgur at the Undercellar to plan the crime. It was supposed to be a simple burglary: Coll and Magpie would climb up to the attic, let themselves in through a window, and then enter Tully’s shop to steal a list of items provided to them by Nizgur. (The list included potions, medicines, and herbs, but Coll can’t read, so he left those details to Magpie.) Nothing went according to plan. Coll met Magpie at the appointed time (his friend had been playing dice all night at the Undercellar), but no sooner had they began to climb the wall of Tully’s shop than a patrol of Fist soldiers grabbed them. The soldiers harshly interrogated Coll and his friend for several hours about an earlier robbery at Tully’s shop, which seemed to have followed their plan almost exactly. They wisely kept their mouths shut. After the would-be thieves received a f logging, the Fist let them go. The ordeal left Coll shaken and he suspected that Nizgur set him up, so he resolved to leave the Gate and seek his fortune elsewhere. He hasn’t seen Nizgur, Magpie, or any other Guild member since. Coll knows nothing of the xivorts or the other crimes, but if the characters ask him about rats, he sheepishly admits to having fed cheese and a bit of bread to one while planning the robbery. After he has told his story, he takes his leave and continues his search for passage upriver.

Human Goon Level 2 Minion SoldierMedium natural humanoid, human XP 31HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion. Initiative +3AC 15, Fortitude 13, Reflex 11, Will 11 Perception +2speed 6TraitsMob Rule

While at least two other human goons are within 5 squares of the goon, it gains a +2 power bonus to all defenses.

Standard Actionsm Club (weapon) F At-Will

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +7 vs. ACHit: 5 damage.

str 14 (+3) Dex 11 (+1) Wis 12 (+2)Con 12 (+2) Int 9 (+0) Cha 13 (+2)Alignment unaligned Languages Commonequipment club


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Encounter 4

Encounter 5

Encounter 6Encounter 3


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encounter 3: Into the UndercellarRoleplaying Encounter

The characters’ investigation should eventually point them to the Undercellar, a seedy festhall and tavern constructed among the interconnected cellars of the Upper City’s buildings. Despite its reputation (or perhaps because of it), the Undercellar is a popu-lar establishment. Visitors to its cobbled, vaulted chambers can enjoy good food, strong drink, games of chance, and the company of “sociable friends,” all with an expectation of privacy and far from the prying eyes of the law, since neither the Watch nor the Fist police the Undercellar. Its apparent pro-prietor—an affable man named Heltur “Ribbons” Ribbond—maintains order with the assistance of a coterie of hired thugs known as “the Cellarers.” That’s the public face of the Undercellar. In truth, its extensive maze of tunnels and interconnected chambers sprawls beneath the Upper City, and the Guild controls most of the complex and the dozens of concealed entrances leading into it. In addition, its lack of official oversight has turned it into a haven for the Gate’s criminals, since they can safely meet and plot within its walls. Some have even established Guild-approved offices in various private chambers (this is how Rothryn Toth came to live and work there). The clearly marked public entrance to the Under-cellar lies on the southern edge of the Wide, Baldur’s Gate’s largest and most famous open-air market-place, at the bottom of a f light of stone steps. Ribbons keeps the heavy oaken doors shut at all hours, but the Undercellar never closes. If the characters knock, one of the Cellarers opens it and ushers them inside.

When the characters first enter, read:The narrow f light of darkened stairs ends in a spacious, dimly lit common room. A couple of iron braziers and an array of f lickering candles provide the scant illumina-tion. Most of the two dozen or so patrons sit around one of the many wooden tables furnishing the room, conversing among themselves in hushed tones as they drink, eat, and gamble, while a pair of professional companions gaily f lits about offering their services. A long wooden bar dominates the wall nearest the stairs, and a gaunt, bearded man with a smile plastered on his face stands behind it serving drinks. He greets you with a friendly, “Well met!” Six warriors dressed in leather armor and armed with truncheons stand watch and silently observe the room.

If the characters are visibly armed, two of the guards begin to shadow them from a distance. Otherwise, the Cellarers maintain a hands off approach to security, but react swiftly if a patron becomes excessively rowdy or tries to exit through one of the common room’s two other entrances without the proper escort. They beat these unworthies unconscious and then dump them in an unmarked passageway. One of the other entrances leads deeper into the Undercellar, and the other leads to a trio of suites used by the “sociable friends.” The robberies in the Lower City are a hot topic of conversation among the Undercellar’s normally tight-lipped patrons and staff, but directly questioning them yields few results. The direct approach doesn’t work and invites the Cellarers’ wrath if the charac-ters are persistent, but not before they first receive a friendly warning from a smiling Ribbons. The char-acters can gain information in several other ways, including the following methods. Eavesdropping: The characters can simply listen to the conversations of the other patrons. A DC 14 Per-ception check allows them to overhear one item from the rumor list. They must also make a DC 12 Bluff check to conceal their snooping. If they fail, the DC of

subsequent Perception checks increases to 19. Each character can make this check once every 15 minutes. Making Friends: The characters can loosen the tongues of the other patrons by impressing them with a DC 12 Bluff check, Diplomacy check, or Intimidate check; buying a round of drinks beforehand grants them a +2 bonus to the roll. Afterward, their new friend invites them to sit and divulges one item from the rumor list. Each character can make this check once every 15 minutes. Gambling: Characters with the necessary funds can join one of the Undercellar’s many ongoing games of chance. DMs can have the characters play actual card or dice games, utilize the alternate gam-bling rules from Dragon 398, or simulate the game by wagering on the results of a d6 roll; typical wagers are 1–2 gp each. The other players engage in small talk throughout the games. Every three hands, the characters overhear one item from the rumor list. The characters can stay in the games as long as they have money to bet.

the Rumor ListRecent events dominate the hushed exchanges of the Undercellar’s patrons. Here are some snippets of con-versations that can provide characters with pertinent information. DMs can roll a d6 or choose from the list.

1. “Did you hear that someone broke into Vug Gorkul’s shop and trashed the place? If that half-orc catches whoever did it . . . well, it ain’t going to be pretty!” If the characters are in a position to ask, the patron explains that Gorkul is an herbalist who sells medicaments, liqueurs, and poisons from a cham-ber in the Undercellar. Slyth, the xivort captured by the wererats, vandalized his shop before falling into their clutches.

2. “I hear that the Fetcher is plenty mad about what’s happening in the Lower City. Not only is his business


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suffering, but his boys keep getting pinched by the Fist.” A DC 12 Streetwise check identifies the Fetcher as a criminal and rumored Guild agent operating out of the Undercellar. He controls a small army of spies and thieves throughout Baldur’s Gate.

3. “Joren and Belken were in here again the other day, asking about the Fetcher’s problems in the Lower City. They give me the creeps. I’m sure they’re somehow involved and trying to stay one step ahead of him.” If the characters inquire about the brothers, they learn that the two are small-time thugs who live in one of the Undercellar’s tunnels. If pressed for details, the patron replies, “They’re an odd pair, kind of funny looking, and they have this weird thing for rats.”

4. “Honor among thieves . . . please. It ain’t safe to talk business with folks anymore. I don’t want anyone steal-ing my plans and getting rich off my sweat, like what’s happened to the Fetcher.”

5. “Shifty swears he saw a blue demon with glowing eyes down in the tunnels. I told that ninny to sober up.” No one has seen Shifty for a few days. The xivorts killed and ate him after he went looking for the blue demon again.

6. “Ribbons asked me to find him a bunch of cats. The rat problem is getting out of hand again!”

other InquiriesWhile visiting the Undercellar, a few other leads war-rant looking into. Rats: To the chagrin of the proprietor Ribbons, rodents lurk in the common room’s shadows. A suc-cessful DC 8 Perception check is all that it takes to find one. After observing the rats, a character who succeeds on a DC 12 Nature check perceives that they’re acting strangely. They approach the patrons too readily and linger far too long. If the characters can find a way to communicate with them, they learn that they’re spying on behalf of their “blue friends.”

Ribbons doesn’t allow rituals or spellcasting in the common room. Characters wishing to use rituals or spells need to leave the premises or rent a private suite (at 5 sp per half hour). Nizgur: Characters who talked to Coll might want to find his erstwhile employer. Though Nizgur is a regular here and a confidante of the Fetcher, no one has seen him for several days. (The Fetcher exiled him to the Outer City as punishment following the failed Tully robbery.)

A Sit-down with the FetcherAs the characters finish their investigation in the Undercellar—or if they become frustrated by its pace—a large gang of street urchins bursts through the door that leads deeper into the complex. The urchins approach the characters and demand they follow them since “the boss wants to talk to you.” If asked, they reply that their boss is the Fetcher. Although the glowering, knife-wielding youths appear threatening, the characters can decline their invitation without further incident. If they accept, the urchins guide them through the Undercellar’s twist-ing tunnels (passing Toth’s laboratory) to the Fetcher’s richly appointed office.

When the characters enter the office, read:An obese, middle-aged man clasping a crystal goblet of red wine in his huge hand sits in a plush chair behind a large cedar desk. A drooping walrus mustache hangs beneath his beaky nose. Dark, messy curls cover half his scalp and an old burn scar covers the rest. Though he wears fine clothes, they’re rumpled and sweat-stained. He rises from his chair with the help of an ornate walking stick and greets you with a jovial smile. “My name is Osgur Hallorn, but most call me the Fetcher. I hear we have some mutual interests that I thought we should discuss. Come, sit.” The Fetcher f lops back into his chair, which creaks under his weight. You hear several meows; a dozen or so

cats perch above you on an unlit lamp wheel. One large calico jumps into the Fetcher’s lap and purrs contentedly.

A few urchins linger. When the characters have taken their seats, Fetcher offers them wine. He maintains a friendly demeanor and gets down to business:

“I’ve heard that you’ve been looking into some unfortunate events in the Lower City. Well, I’d like to help you in any way that I can. Why? Well, the Fist has mistakenly blamed some of my boys for those crimes and I can’t in good conscience keep letting that happen to innocent youths, can I?”

The Fetcher steadfastly denies that his boys were planning to rob anyone, unconvincingly insists their arrests were simple coincidences, and doesn’t par-ticularly care if the characters believe him. He wants to hear what they’ve learned during their investiga-tions. Since he doesn’t expect the characters to trust him, he’s not offended if they withhold information or mislead him. Though he’s unaware of Toth’s schemes (at this point, he barely remembers the gnome), the Fetcher suspects that the leak originates from within the Guild and wants the characters to investigate certain leads that he has judged too risky to pursue himself: specifically, the wererat twins Joren and Belken. He knows that they’ve also been investigat-ing the crimes, though he’s not sure why. Yesterday, one of his boys reported that the wererats tried to bribe him with one of Delzour Llaeskyr’s stolen gems (which they took from Slyth).

When characters finish, the Fetcher says more:“I think I can help you. You might have heard about some twin brothers who live down here; their names are Joren and Belken. Well, they’re little more than street thugs, but they’ve been nosing around too, though not as deftly as you. One of my boys told me that they tried to bribe him yester-day with a ruby! I’m sure they just didn’t find it lying on the f lagstones down here.”


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The Fetcher hides the fact that the twins are lycan-thropes (a DC 19 Insight check reveals he’s hiding something). He tells them how to reach the twins’ hideout and promises that no one will interfere with their investigation. The characters can leave at any time. As they go, the Fetcher reminds them that they can always call upon him for help, raises his glass, and toasts to their success with a hearty laugh.

encounter 4: the WarrensRoleplaying Challenge or Combat Encounter Level 3 (700 XP)

By the time the characters finish dealing with the Undercellar’s denizens, they’ll likely want to talk with Joren and Belken. The identical twins work as enforcers, though only the Fetcher knows what they actually are. As payment, the Guild allows them to live in a secluded chamber in the Undercellar. The characters can find it easily by following the Fetcher’s instructions. If the characters declined his help, the Undercellar’s other inhabitants can give them direc-tions, and Ribbons grants them admission with a wry smile. (Everyone hates them and would reveal their location out of spite, but the Fetcher put out word to help the characters in this regard.) The twins’ interest in the robberies is motivated by their hatred of the xivorts. The wererats are the self-proclaimed rulers of the Undercellar’s rat population, and they view the fey as threats to their authority. They know someone is onto their scheme and are trying to find out whom before they strike back. To that end, they recently captured a xivort named Slyth, who had earlier vandalized Vug Gorkul’s neighboring shop. They’ve been torturing the xivort ever since. Light: Bright (torches in brackets). Monsters: 2 scurrying wererats, 4 dire rats, 1 xivort slasher.

Perception DC 14 (as the characters approach the chamber): You hear a high-pitched squeaky voice cry out, “Who hired you!” in Common; the voice echoes strangely.

When the characters enter the lair, read:Gnawed wooden crates and pallets of dirty straw fill this chamber. At its center is a well surrounded by a crumbling stone wall. A f light of stairs leads upward to a wooden door.

When the characters enter, Joren and Belken are standing in their hybrid forms next to the well, while the dire rats peer hungrily over its edge. They’ve imprisoned Slyth at the well’s bottom and are in the process of interrogating him. When they notice the characters, the wererats spin around and hiss menacingly but don’t attack immediately. The com-motion prompts Slyth to begin screaming “Help!” in Common and Elven. Joren steps forward and orders the characters to leave. Unless the characters comply or come up with a good reason to stay, the wererats attack. They concentrate on driving the characters away and don’t pursue them if the characters retreat. Crates: The crates are difficult terrain and grant cover. Stairs: The stairs are difficult terrain. The door at the top of the landing is locked (DC 19 Thievery to open) and Belken carries the key in his pocket. It leads to a warehouse owned by the Guild. Well: The crude masonry encircling the dry well is 3 feet high. The shaft is 30 feet deep, and creatures falling into it take 3d10 damage. Climbing the well requires a DC 15 Athletics check. The winch still works and can support approximately 50 pounds. Treasure: The twins keep their treasure hidden in one of the crates. It consists of 100 gp in assorted coinage, a level 2 magic item coated in grime, and Slyth’s possessions, which include four daggers, a short sword, and a pouch containing three gems stolen from Delzour Llaerskyr worth 50 gp each


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(among them is a fire spinel that the Fetcher’s man mistook for a ruby). Development: If the characters think fast and make a DC 12 Bluff check, Diplomacy check, or Intimidate check, they can forestall the wererats’ attack; if they mention they’re working for the Fetcher or are investigating the xivorts’ robberies, they gain a +2 bonus to their roll. After the characters convince them that they’re on the same side, the wererats assume their human forms—short, ugly men with beady eyes, dark, oily hair, and thin mustaches—while the disappointed dire rats return to gazing longingly down the well. The jittery twins finish each other’s sentences as they explain that they are looking for allies to help them fight the xivorts (or as they angrily call the fey, “the usurpers”). They’ve pieced together the xivorts’ scheme and can fill the characters in on any remain-ing details. They also know the location of the xivorts’ lair. The only thing that they haven’t figured out is who hired them, which is why they’re interrogating Slyth—without much success. Based on their observa-tions, they’re convinced the xivorts’ boss is another Undercellar inhabitant. They refuse to accompany the characters until they learn the mastermind’s identity (they don’t want to cross the wrong person). If the characters ask to talk to Slyth, the wererats oblige, though they refuse to release him (they plan to eat the xivort for his impudence). The miserable fey is wracked by filth fever, hunger, and thirst, but he refuses to cooperate. When he does respond to questions, his answers are laced with obscenities, threats, or demands for his release. In truth he knows little more than the twins, though he has seen “the boss” (as the xivorts call him) and describes him as “a big folk like you, but with red hair.” He also knows that the xivorts don’t keep the loot in their lair; instead, “the boss” meets them each morning at the entrance to their home and exchanges any stolen items for gold trade bars.

If the characters slay the twins, Slyth can provide the same information, though he first expects his res-cuers to bind his wounds, provide him with medicine, and give him food. The duplicitous fey claims that “the boss” tricked his desperate and hungry people into stealing for him. If any characters are aware of the

xivorts’ tragic history, he plays on their sympathies. He now wants nothing more than to go home. Slyth offers to guide the characters to his people’s lair so they can discuss matters with Savax, their leader. Naturally, he turns on them at the earliest opportunity.

2 Scurrying Wererats Level 3 SkirmisherMedium natural humanoid (shapechanger), human XP 150 eachHP 37; Bloodied 18 Initiative +7AC 17, Fortitude 16, Reflex 14, Will 13 Perception +7speed 6, climb 4 (rat or hybrid form only) Low-light visionTraitsRegeneration

The wererat regains 5 hit points whenever it starts its turn and has at least 1 hit point. When the wererat takes damage from a silvered weapon, its regeneration does not function on its next turn.

Standard Actionsm Dagger (weapon) F At-Will

Requirement: The wererat must be in human or hybrid form.

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +8 vs. ACHit: 1d6 + 6 damage, or 2d6 + 6 if the wererat has combat

advantage against the target.m Bite (disease) F At-Will

Requirement: The wererat must be in rat or hybrid form.Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +8 vs. ACHit: 1d4 + 4 damage. If the target is granting combat

advantage to the wererat, it also takes ongoing 5 damage (save ends). At the end of the encounter, the target makes a saving throw. On a failure, the target contracts wererat filth fever (stage 1).

Move ActionsRat scurry F At-Will

Requirement: The wererat must be in rat form.Effect: The wererat shifts up to its speed.

Minor ActionsChange shape (polymorph) F At-Will

Effect: The wererat alters its physical form to appear as a Tiny rat, or a Medium unique human or hybrid.

skills Bluff +6, Stealth +10str 10 (+1) Dex 18 (+5) Wis 12 (+2)Con 15 (+3) Int 13 (+2) Cha 11 (+1)Alignment evil Languages Commonequipment dagger

Wererat Filth Fever Level 3 DiseaseThose infected by this disease waste away as they alternately suffer chills and hot flashes.stage 0: The target recovers from the disease.stage 1: While affected by stage 1, the target loses a healing

surge.stage 2: While affected by stage 2, the target loses a healing

surge. The target also takes a –2 penalty to AC, Fortitude, and Reflex.

stage 3: While affected by stage 3, the target loses all healing surges and cannot regain hit points. The target also takes a –2 penalty to AC, Fortitude, and Reflex.

Check: At the end of each extended rest, the target makes an Endurance check if it is at stage 1 or 2.

8 or Lower: The stage of the disease increases by 1. 9–12: No change. 13 or Higher: The stage of the disease decreases by 1.

4 Dire Rats Level 1 BruteSmall natural beast XP 100 eachHP 38; Bloodied 19 Initiative +2AC 13, Fortitude 13, Reflex 11, Will 9 Perception +5speed 6, climb 3 Low-light visionStandard Actionsm Bite (disease) F At-Will

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +6 vs. ACHit: 1d10 + 5 damage. At the end of the encounter, the

target makes a saving throw. On a failure, the target con-tracts dire rat filth fever (stage 1).

skills Stealth +7str 14 (+2) Dex 15 (+2) Wis 10 (+0)Con 18 (+4) Int 2 (–4) Cha 6 (–2)Alignment unaligned Languages —


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Dire Rat Filth Fever Level 1 DiseaseThose infected by this disease waste away as they alternately suffer chills and hot flashes.stage 0: The target recovers from the disease.stage 1: While affected by stage 1, the target loses a healing

surge.stage 2: While affected by stage 2, the target loses a healing

surge. The target also takes a –2 penalty to AC, Fortitude, and Reflex.

stage 3: While affected by stage 3, the target loses all healing surges and cannot regain hit points. The target also takes a –2 penalty to AC, Fortitude, and Reflex.

Check: At the end of each extended rest, the target makes an Endurance check if it is at stage 1 or 2.

7 or Lower: The stage of the disease increases by 1. 8–11: No change. 12 or Higher: The stage of the disease decreases by 1.

Xivort Slasher Level 1 SkirmisherSmall fey humanoid XP 100HP 26; Bloodied 13 Initiative +4AC 15, Fortitude 12, Reflex 13, Will 13 Perception +1speed 5 DarkvisionStandard Actionsm short sword (weapon) F At-Will

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +6 vs. ACHit: 1d6 + 5 damage.

r Dagger (weapon) F At-WillAttack: Ranged 5/10 (one creature); +6 vs. ACHit: 1d4 + 3 damage.

Triggered ActionsCunning step F At-Will

Trigger: An enemy adjacent to the slasher is hit by an attack.

Effect (Free Action): The slasher shifts 1 square.shadow step (teleportation) F At-Will

Trigger: An enemy adjacent to the slasher hits it.Effect (Immediate Reaction): The slasher teleports to another

square adjacent to the triggering enemy.skills Bluff +5, Stealth +7str 13 (+1) Dex 14 (+2) Wis 12 (+1)Con 10 (+0) Int 10 (+0) Cha 11 (+0)Alignment evil Languages Common, Elvenequipment leather armor, short sword, 4 daggers

encounter 5: the Darkest ReachesCombat Encounter Level 4 (925 XP)

After Toth hired the xivorts, they entered the Under-cellar through a fissure that connects the complex to the Underdark and made the chamber they found their lair. Savax, the band’s shadow caller and leader, used magic to make it feel more like home. Light: None. Monsters: 3 xivort darters, 2 xivort net casters, 2 xivort slashers, and 1 xivort shadow caller.

When the characters approach the lair, read:The rough-hewn tunnel appears unnaturally dark. Shadows seem to cling to everything and the dank air is noticeably cooler. Even in the dim light, you can see that rubble and garbage chokes the passageway.

Except for Toth, the xivorts haven’t had any visi-tors and aren’t expecting trouble, but they still post guards. Two xivort darters hide 20 feet up the tunnel. If they detect the characters (the darters do so auto-matically if the characters carry a light source), they begin to hurl darts (likely with surprise) and shout an alarm before retreating deeper into tunnel. Tactics: The xivorts attempt to trap the charac-ters in the tunnel and employ ranged attacks against them. The net casters use their bolas to knock down the front ranks so the characters can’t provide cover to their allies. Outside the tunnel, the xivorts use hit-and-run tactics, focus on disabling the charac-ters, and take advantage of the favorable lighting conditions. Since they particularly hate goliaths and half-orcs, they try to attack members of those races first. If the characters retreat, the xivorts pursue them into the adjacent chambers but no farther. The xivorts fight as long as Savax lives. If he is killed, they try to f lee back to the Underdark.

Reinforcements: After the darters raise the alarm, Savax emits a piercing, high-pitched squeaking noise as a free action, which summons a scurrying rat swarm. The rodents appear at the beginning of the next round at the mouth of the tunnel and fight to the death or until Savax is slain. In addition, if Slyth accompanies the characters, he immediately turns on them. Coal Bin: The empty coal bin provides cover to anyone inside it. Fissure: Medium creatures need to squeeze to pass through the fissure, which descends 30 feet to a natural tunnel beneath the Undercellar. The tunnel leads farther into the Underdark. Furniture: If a creature that can’t see enters a square containing furniture, it falls prone. The xivorts can make DC 8 Strength checks as minor actions to shove the furniture into an adjacent square.

3 Xivort Darters Level 1 ArtillerySmall fey humanoid XP 100 eachHP 22; Bloodied 11 Initiative +2AC 13, Fortitude 12, Reflex 13, Will 13 Perception +1speed 5 DarkvisionStandard Actionsm Dagger (weapon) F At-Will


r Dart (weapon) F At-WillAttack: Ranged 5/10 (one creature); +6 vs. ReflexHit: 1d4 + 3 damage.

R Dart Volley (weapon) F At-WillEffect: The darter uses dart twice.

R Dream Venom Dart (poison, weapon) F encounterAttack: Ranged 5/10 (one creature); +6 vs. ReflexHit: 1d4 + 3 damage, and the target is dazed (save ends).

Triggered ActionsDarter’s step (teleportation) F At-Will

Trigger: An enemy adjacent to the darter hits it.Effect (Immediate Reaction): The darter teleports 2 squares.

str 13 (+1) Dex 14 (+2) Wis 12 (+1)Con 10 (+0) Int 10 (+0) Cha 11 (+0)Alignment evil Languages Common, Elvenequipment dagger, 4 darts


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Rubble: The rubble is difficult terrain. If a crea-ture that can’t see the rubble enters its square, it must make a DC 12 Acrobatics roll or fall prone. Tunnel: Medium creatures need to squeeze when moving through the tunnel. Unnatural Darkness: Within the tunnel and the two chambers occupied by the xivorts, bright light becomes dim light, and dim lights are extin-guished. Additionally, the radiuses of any light sources are halved. Upstairs: The ladder in the smaller chamber leads to the first f loor of a house in the Upper City.

Its new owners are renovating it, so during the day, workers are busy in the house. Savax’s magic has con-vinced the workers that the cellar is haunted, so they avoid it at all costs. At night, the house is unoccupied, allowing the xivorts easy access to the city. Treasure: Each xivort carries 1d10 sp and 1d6 gp. Savax also wears a silver circlet in the shape of bat with outstretched wings worth 75 gp and carries a bag of holding that Toth loaned to them so they could transport bulky loot. In addition, the shadow caller has tucked a bronze amulet (worth 5 gp) and a letter written by Toth in Elven into his belt pouch. It reads:

“Savax, use this amulet to control the magens. I will show you how when the first batch is ready for delivery in less than a tenday, but for now attune yourself to it. —Toth”

The amulet is powerless, but Toth enchanted it so it radiates a magical aura. The xivorts store their profits in the empty coal bin. They’ve wrapped what appears to be ten golden trade bars in dirty cloth. The bars are actually iron ingots; a character examining the “trade bars” with a passive Insight check of 19 or higher notices some-thing is amiss. It requires a DC 19 Insight check as a minor action to disbelieve the illusion. Development: Captured xivorts aren’t coopera-tive until the characters discover the truth about their

2 Xivort Net Casters Level 1 ControllerSmall fey humanoid XP 100 eachHP 26; Bloodied 13 Initiative +3AC 15, Fortitude 12, Reflex 13, Will 13 Perception +1speed 5 DarkvisionTraitsCruel slasher

The net caster gains a +2 bonus to damage rolls against prone, immobilized, slowed, or restrained enemies.

Standard Actionsm short sword (weapon) F At-Will


A Net (weapon) F At-WillAttack: Area burst 1 within 5 (creatures in the burst); +5

vs. ReflexHit: The target is restrained (save ends).

Minor ActionsR Bolas (weapon) F At-Will

Attack: Ranged 5 (one creature); +5 vs. ReflexHit: The target falls prone and cannot stand up until the

end of the net caster’s next turn.Triggered Actionsshadow step (teleportation) F At-Will

Trigger: An enemy adjacent to the net caster hits it.Effect (Immediate Reaction): The net caster teleports to

another square adjacent to the triggering enemy.str 13 (+1) Dex 16 (+3) Wis 12 (+1)Con 10 (+0) Int 10 (+0) Cha 11 (+0)Alignment evil Languages Common, Elvenequipment leather armor, short sword, 2 bolas, 4 nets

2 Xivort Slashers Level 1 SkirmisherSmall fey humanoid XP 100 eachHP 26; Bloodied 13 Initiative +4AC 15, Fortitude 12, Reflex 13, Will 13 Perception +1speed 5 DarkvisionStandard Actionsm short sword (weapon) F At-Will


r Dagger (weapon) F At-WillAttack: Ranged 5/10 (one creature); +6 vs. ACHit: 1d4 + 3 damage.

Triggered ActionsCunning step F At-Will

Trigger: An enemy adjacent to the slasher is hit by an attack.

Effect (Free Action): The slasher shifts 1 square.shadow step (teleportation) F At-Will

Trigger: An enemy adjacent to the slasher hits it.Effect (Immediate Reaction): The slasher teleports to another

square adjacent to the triggering enemy.skills Bluff +5, Stealth +7str 13 (+1) Dex 14 (+2) Wis 12 (+1)Con 10 (+0) Int 10 (+0) Cha 11 (+0)Alignment evil Languages Common, Elvenequipment leather armor, short sword, 4 daggers

Xivort Shadow Caller Level 2 Artillery (Leader)Small fey humanoid XP 125HP 32; Bloodied 16 Initiative +2AC 14, Fortitude 14, Reflex 14, Will 13 Perception +5speed 5 DarkvisionStandard Actionsm Dagger (weapon) F At-Will


r shadow Phantoms (fear, implement, psychic) F At-WillAttack: Ranged 10 (one creature); +7 vs. Will, with a +1

bonus per creature adjacent to the targetHit: 1d8 + 4 psychic damage, and the target grants combat

advantage until the end of the shadow caller’s next turn.R Deathmark Bolt (implement, necrotic) F Recharge 4

5 6Attack: Ranged 10 (one creature); +7 vs. WillHit: 1d8 + 4 necrotic damage, and one of the shadow call-

er’s allies adjacent to the target can make a melee basic attack against the target as a free action.

R shadow strangler (implement) F encounterAttack: Ranged 10 (one creature); +7 vs. ReflexHit: The target is immobilized and takes ongoing 5 damage

(save ends both).Triggered Actionsshadow step (teleportation) F At-Will

Trigger: An enemy adjacent to the shadow caller hits it.Effect (Immediate Reaction): The shadow caller teleports to

another square adjacent to the triggering enemy.str 11 (+1) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 11 (+1)Con 14 (+3) Int 17 (+4) Cha 16 (+4)Alignment evil Languages Common, Elvenequipment dagger, wand


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“trade bars.” After the illusion is broken, the xivorts howl in anger (their shrieks grow louder when they realize that their army of magens was also a lie) and vow revenge against Toth. Only Savax knows Toth’s actual name. The xivorts reveal the location of their boss’s laboratory if the characters allow them to return to the Underdark. None of them knows he’s a gnome, since they’ve seen him only in his human guise. If no xivorts survived, the characters can call upon the other inhabitants of the Undercellar for informa-tion. When presented with the illusory gold or Savax’s note, the Undercellar’s patrons quickly identify Rothryn Toth as the most likely culprit. They know him as a redheaded gnome instead of a human and provide the characters with directions to his cham-bers (they also warn that he’s a powerful wizard). The Fetcher even offers to take care of things for the

characters with the intent of collecting the stolen goods for himself, but he defers to the characters if they wish to pursue the matter to its conclusion. Killing or driving off the xivorts ends the crime spree and encourages Toth to f lee Baldur’s Gate.

encounter 6: one Last RatRoleplaying Challenge, Combat Encounter Level 2 (650 XP), and Trap/Hazard (125 XP)

By the time the characters decide to confront Rothryn Toth, he has already heard about what hap-pened to his xivort allies (word travels fast in the Undercellar) and is hastily preparing his getaway. Toth is not evil, but he is incredibly self-interested and cowardly. Simply killing the characters is unappeal-ing. Instead, he first tries trickery, then bribery, and only turns violent as a last-ditch effort (or if the char-acters attack him). Toth occupies a trio of interconnected chambers in the Undercellar, which he uses as a workshop, study, and library. He also rents the house above. He has placed an arcane lock effect on the otherwise-unremarkable reinforced wooden door that connects his chambers to the Undercellar (DC 22 Thievery or Strength check to open); it has AC 5, Fortitude 10, and 30 hit points. In addition, if anyone other than Toth touches the door, a magic mouth activates and in an apologetic voice loudly announces, “Mr. Toth is out at the moment. Please come back later. I’m very sorry for your inconvenience.” Characters who listen at the door and make a DC 13 Perception check can hear the muffled sounds of people moving around; how-ever, no one ever answers the door. Light: Bright (f loating globes of magical light provide illumination; Toth can extinguish them as a free action). Monsters: 1 gnome illusionist, 1 pseudodragon, 2 demos magen sentinels. Trap/Hazard: 1 glyph of warding.

Scurrying Rat Swarm Level 1 SkirmisherMedium natural beast (swarm) XP 100HP 27; Bloodied 13 Initiative +5AC 15, Fortitude 13, Reflex 15, Will 11 Perception +4speed 6, climb 2 Low-light visionResist half damage from melee and ranged attacks;Vulnerable 5 to close and area attacksTraitsO swarm Attack F Aura 1

Any enemy that ends its turn in the aura takes 4 damage, and the swarm can slide it 1 square as a free action.

swarmThe swarm can occupy the same space as another creature, and an enemy can enter its space, which is difficult terrain. The swarm cannot be pulled, pushed, or slid by melee or ranged attacks. It can squeeze through any opening that is large enough for at least one of the creatures it comprises.

Standard Actionsm swarm of Teeth F At-Will

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +6 vs. ACHit: 1d10 + 3 damage, or 1d10 + 8 if the swarm moved at

least 2 squares during this turn.Effect: The swarm can shift 1 square.

str 12 (+1) Dex 16 (+3) Wis 9 (–1)Con 11 (+0) Int 1 (–5) Cha 7 (–2)Alignment unaligned Languages —

Gnome Illusionist Level 6 ArtillerySmall fey humanoid XP 250HP 57; Bloodied 28 Initiative +5AC 20, Fortitude 15, Reflex 17, Will 18 Perception +4speed 5 Low-light visionStandard Actionsm Gnarled staff (weapon) F At-Will


A Bedazzle (illusion, implement, radiant) F At-WillAttack: Area burst 1 within 10 (enemies in the burst); +11

vs. WillHit: 2d6 + 5 radiant damage, and the target grants combat

advantage (save ends).C see Me Not (illusion, implement, psychic) F

Recharge 5 6Attack: Close blast 3 (enemies in the blast); +9 vs. WillHit: 2d6 + 10 psychic damage, and the target cannot see

the gnome (save ends).Move ActionsThere, Not There (illusion, teleportation) F encounter

Effect: The gnome teleports up to 5 squares and creates two duplicates of itself within 5 squares of its destina-tion space. The duplicates last until the gnome attacks or until they are destroyed. Each duplicate has 1 hit point and the same ability scores and defenses as the gnome. The gnome can use its actions to have a duplicate act in any way it could, except that the duplicates cannot use powers and cannot flank.

Minor ActionsVeil (illusion) F At-Will

Effect: The gnome can disguise itself and up to three allies within 5 squares of it to appear as any Small or Medium creatures. A creature can see through the disguise with a successful Insight check opposed by the gnome’s Bluff check.

skills Bluff +13, Stealth +12str 10 (+3) Dex 14 (+5) Wis 13 (+4)Con 15 (+5) Int 18 (+7) Cha 20 (+8)Alignment unaligned Languages Common, Elvenequipment robes, gnarled staff (quarterstaff)


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When the characters open the door, read:The door opens into a large, irregularly shaped room, sparsely furnished with a mismatched collection of trunks, tables, and a battered wooden cabinet. A desk pushed up against one of the walls has a thick book lying open atop it. Next to the desk is a plush chair covered with brightly col-ored pillows. An open door is to your right, through which you can see what appears to be a library. Several small crates sit atop a reading table, half-filled with books. Passive Insight of 22 or higher: The wall to your left seems to waver for an instant.

Any character who notices something is wrong with the wall can make a DC 22 Insight check as a minor action to disbelieve the illusion.

If a character disbelieves the illusion, read:The wall dissolves. In its place is an open archway lead-ing to a small room filed with stacks of boxes and crates. A ladder ascends above the clutter to a trapdoor in the ceiling.

Toth uses his veil power to disguise himself and his recently purchased demos magen sentinels. Wasp, his pet pseudodragon, perches invisibly on the back

of the plush chair. Toth makes the magens look like staff-wielding human brothers sporting jet black hair and purple robes, while he assumes the form of a beautiful moon elf maiden possessing long blue hair, striking violet eyes, silvery robes, and a slender wand. At the start of the encounter, Toth sits in the chair. One of the magens stands next to him while the other positions itself near the illusionary wall. The gnome attempts to confuse the characters and convince them to leave, but they can penetrate his disguises by making an Insight check opposed by his Bluff check. When the characters enter, Toth stands up in his elf guise and scolds them in a melodious voice: “How dare you enter my home! Is this how the Undercel-lar greets its newest residents?” Toth claims to be Xandra Moonflower, a transmuter recently arrived from Evereska. The two magens are her apprentices, brothers named Deleth and Prambar. According to “Xandra,” Toth rented these chambers to her and left Baldur’s Gate yesterday heading for Amn (“he said he had family in the Snowflake Mountains”). Toth adopts an imperious attitude and refuses to let the characters search the chambers. If they become aggressive or refuse to leave, he threatens to turn them into toads or worse. If the characters leave, Toth

Pseudodragon Level 3 LurkerSmall natural beast (reptile) XP 150HP 40; Bloodied 20 Initiative +9AC 17, Fortitude 14, Reflex 15, Will 14 Perception +8speed 4, fly 8 (hover)Standard Actionsm Bite F At-Will

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +8 vs. ACHit: 1d8 + 4 damage.Effect: The pseudodragon flies up to 4 squares. This move-

ment does not provoke opportunity attacks.m sting (poison) F At-Will

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature that cannot see the pseudo-dragon); +6 vs. Fortitude

Hit: 1d8 + 4 damage, and ongoing 5 poison damage (save ends).

Invisibility (illusion) F Recharge when the pseudodragon takes damageEffect: The pseudodragon becomes invisible until it hits or

misses with an attack.skills Insight +8, Stealth +10str 8 (+0) Dex 18 (+5) Wis 15 (+3)Con 16 (+4) Int 9 (+0) Cha 17 (+4)Alignment unaligned Languages Common, Draconic

2 Demos Magen Sentinels Level 2 SoldierMedium natural animate (construct) XP 125 eachHP 38; Bloodied 19 Initiative +5AC 18, Fortitude 15, Reflex 13, Will 14 Perception +8speed 5 Immune charm, disease, fear, poisonTraitsThreatening Reach

The sentinel can make opportunity attacks against ene-mies within its reach.

Standard Actionsm Halberd (weapon) F At-Will

Attack: Melee 2 (one creature); +7 vs. ACHit: 1d10 + 5 damage.Effect: The sentinel marks the target until the end of its

next turn.C sweeping Cut (weapon) F Recharge when first bloodied

Attack: Close burst 1 (enemies in the burst); +7 vs. ACHit: 1d10 + 5 damage, and the target falls prone.

Triggered ActionsM ever Vigilant (weapon) F At-Will

Trigger: An enemy marked by the sentinel makes an attack that doesn’t include the sentinel as a target.

Effect (Immediate Interrupt): The sentinel uses halberd against the triggering enemy. If the triggering attack tar-geted its controller, the sentinel gains a +2 power bonus to its attack roll and damage roll for this attack.

Magic Absorption F encounterTrigger: An arcane attack hits the sentinel.Effect (Immediate Reaction): The sentinel gains 10 tempo-

rary hit points.skills Athletics +9str 17 (+4) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 15 (+3)Con 14 (+3) Int 9 (+0) Cha 10 (+1)Alignment unaligned Languages Commonequipment scale armor, halberd

Glyph of Warding Level 2 TrapObject XP 125Detect Arcana or Perception DC 15 Initiative —Immune attacksTriggered ActionsC Attack (radiant)

Trigger: A creature touches the object bearing the glyph.Attack (Immediate Reaction): Close burst 3 (creatures in the

burst); +5 vs. ReflexHit: 2d6 + 3 radiant damage.Special: Once the glyph is triggered, it disappears and

cannot be triggered again.Countermeasures

F Disable: Thievery DC 15 (standard action). Requirement: The character must be adjacent to the glyph. Success: The character disables the glyph. Failure (14 or less): The character triggers the trap.


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decides that he has had enough and immediately f lees through the trapdoor with whatever he and his magens can carry. If the characters don’t believe Xandra’s bluster or penetrate the illusions, Toth and the magens assume their natural forms (Wasp stays invisible). Toth is a balding, middle-aged gnome with an unkempt crown of fiery red hair; stress has made him haggard and he frequently grumbles about his stomach ulcers. At this point, Toth’s only interest is survival. He immediately apologizes, says he regrets his actions (which is true at this point), and ultimately tries to shift the blame onto the Fetcher. He tells the characters anything they want to hear and offers to return all the stolen items if they let him go—plus, he’ll allow the characters to take anything of his they want! If it looks like the characters are going to turn him over to the Fist (or even worse, the Guild), Toth decides to attack. Tactics: Toth’s only goal is to escape, and he’s willing to sacrifice his minions to do so. The magens obediently position themselves between the char-acters and Toth to facilitate his escape, while Wasp takes f light, stays invisible, and stings or bites who-ever attacks his master first, delaying if necessary. For his part, Toth blinds as many characters as possible with see me not before using there, not there to teleport behind the illusory wall. Toth and Wasp try to escape up the ladder and into the Upper City; once on the surface, the illusionist uses veil to assume another identity and disappear in the crowd. If Toth cannot escape or becomes bloodied, he surrenders and pleads for mercy. Wasp and the magens fight to the death unless Toth commands them otherwise. Cabinets: The cabinets are empty, since Toth moved their contents into the crates. Ceiling: The ceilings in the chambers are 15 feet high. Crates: Crates provide cover. They contain a mix-ture of books on various arcane subjects as well as glass laboratory equipment. The crates in the room

concealed by the illusionary wall contain the items stolen by the xivorts. Desk: The book atop the desk is Toth’s personal ledger. Written in Elven, it reveals that he lost a large sum of gold to the Fetcher in a recent busi-ness deal. The desk contains quills, bottles of ink, and sheets of parchment. Ladder: The ladder is quite rickety and requires a DC 10 Athletics check to climb. It is trapped with a glyph of warding that unleashes a blast of prismatic energy if anyone other than Toth or his allies touch it, destroying the ladder in the process. Tables: Small creatures can move freely under the tables, gaining cover by doing so. A combatant can hop onto the tables with a DC 10 Athletics check, gaining total cover against enemies under the table (and vice versa). A table can be f lipped as a minor action with a DC 14 Strength check, in which case any creature can stand behind it to gain cover against attacks originating from the other side. Trapdoor: The trapdoor is arcane locked (DC 22 Strength or Thievery check to open); it has an AC of 5, Fortitude 10, and 20 hit points. Toth and his allies can freely open it. Trunks: The trunks are unlocked and hold Toth’s clothes and mundane belongings. Treasure: Toth lost the majority of his wealth to the Fetcher, but a level 3 magic item is hidden inside the cushions of his chair and one of his trunks con-tains two potions of healing taken from Mira Tully and a single 100 gp trade bar.

Concluding the AdventureWhat happens to Rothryn Toth is up to the charac-ters. If he escapes or they let him go, he f lees Baldur’s Gate forever. If they turn him over to the Fist, he’s given a perfunctory trial and is sentenced to the Seatower’s dungeons; if they hand him over to the Fetcher or the wererats Toth is never seen again. Depending on how they parted, the illusionist might

seek the characters out in the future . . . either for help or revenge. Margda Silveraxe and the xivorts’ other victims are extremely grateful to the characters if they return the stolen property. In addition to paying what she owes them, Margda promises them future work and enthusiastically recommends them to her friends and colleagues, as do the other merchants. The Fetcher also sends his appreciation; one of his urchins deliv-ers a bouquet of yellow roses with a handwritten card that simply states, “I hope we can help each other again in the future!” Until the characters cross the Guild, they’ll have an easier time gaining access to the Undercellar—especially since they’ve discovered so many of its hidden entrances. As for the fissure leading to the Underdark, the Fetcher has it collapsed, or so he claims. Perhaps he’s lying to the Undercellar’s other inhabitants, none of whom are eager to verify his deeds. If so, he might need adventurers to explore what lies beneath the Undercellar.

About the AuthorTim Eagon is a freelance writer in living in Madison, Wis-consin. His other recent articles include “The Ecology of the Swordwing” (Dungeon 204), “Ye Olde Creature Catalog” (Dragon 418), and “Court of Stars: Thrumbolg” (Dragon 420).

rats in the undercellar rats in the undercellar · a d&d® adventure for characters of levels...

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